I admit I was pretty surprised when I read this stat that 70% of guests who have stayed at the Hotel Dory return for another stay. The part that didn’t surprise me (as I’m part of that 70%) – is why guests keep coming back.
There are bike hotels—and then there’s Hotel Dory. Tucked into the Adriatic seaside town of Riccione, this family-run operation has quietly built one of the most loyal followings in cycling travel. The proof? More than 70% of guests return. Not once, not twice—but year after year.
Spend a week here and it’s easy to understand why: expertly guided rides, world-class food rooted in Romagna tradition, and a culture that blends performance cycling with genuine Italian hospitality. It’s not just a cycling trip—it’s an easy rhythm to fall into, and not want to leave.
The Dory Difference: Built by Cyclists, for Cyclists
Hotel Dory is run by Stefano Giuliodori, whose family founded the hotel decades ago—the name itself drawn from the final letters of their surname. But Stefano’s real legacy is broader: he founded Italy Bike Hotels, now a network of over 50 certified cycling hotels across Italy.
Hotel owner Stefano Giuliadori (left) joins the rides as often as possible.
And it all started here in Riccione.
This isn’t a hotel that added bikes as an amenity—it’s a hotel where cycling is the foundation.
A Week at Dory: The Flow of the Ride
Saturday: Arrival & Anticipation
Guests arrive from across the globe—North America, Europe, Australia—and gather for the evening briefing. Alessandro maps out the week’s routes, explains ride groups, and sets the tone: structured, but relaxed.
Sunday: Finding Your Legs
The first ride is about connection—finding your pace, your group, and your place on the road. There are 6 guided cycling groups divided by difficulty and fitness level. Dinner? Often pizza. Informal, loud, and the perfect icebreaker.
The daily rides are posted in welcomed detail the night before tomorrow’s ride.
Monday & Tuesday: Into the Hills
By Monday, the terrain opens up—longer climbs, quieter roads, deeper into Romagna. During the ride, we’ll stop for a barbecue lunch at the Giuliodori family’s country house in Vecciano. This will be followed by a tasting of traditional balsamic vinegar, aged for over 30 years and produced by the family.
Barrels of balsamic vinegar at the Hotel Dory’s farm
Tuesday often delivers a highlight: a mid-ride winery stop. Bikes leaned against stone walls, glasses of Sangiovese or Albana in hand—this is cycling, Italian style.
Housemade balsamic vinegar – only for guests
Wednesday: The Big Day
This is where the week peaks. Long rides stretch to iconic destinations like San Marino or Urbino. Legs are strong, confidence is high, and the group dynamic is dialed.
Thursday: Sea Air & Seafood
After the big effort, the pace softens. Routes drift toward the Adriatic coast, ending at an amazing local farm with a tasting of traditional local products.
Friday: The Final Ride
One last spin, one last espresso stop. After the final ride of the week, it’s the perfect opportunity to relax in the brand-new wellness center. Then the closing dinner—where toasts are made, friendships are sealed, and return trips are quietly planned.
The spa features sauna, steam room , hot tubs and cold plunges, massage and more
Fueling the Ride: Romagna on the Table
At Dory, the food isn’t an afterthought—it’s central to the experience. Food here is plentiful and delicious – all pasta and desserts are always homemade. The Italian wines are excellent and Stefano (who is also a sommelier) he personally curates the wine list.
Expect:
- Fresh piadina and crescioni (Romagna’s signature flatbreads)
- Squacquerone cheese, soft and local
- Prosciutto di Carpegna DOP
- Regional cured meats and cheeses
Much of what you eat comes from the Giuliodori family’s own countryside farmhouse, Vecciano—a true farm-to-table operation.
And the wine? It’s not confined to dinner. Tastings happen mid-ride, in the hills, where the wines are grown.
Fresh piadina – Romagna’s iconic flatbreads, baked on a hot stone griddle. Piadina is thin and golden, best folded around local fillings; crescioni are its stuffed cousin, sealed at the edges and packed with seasonal ingredients.
Delicious local cheeses
Prosciutto di Carpegna DOP – Aged in the microclimate of the Montefeltro hills, this protected-designation ham has been cured the same way for centuries. Delicate, sweet, and paper-thin: one of Italy’s most underrated treasures.
Regional cured meats and cheeses – A rotating selection of what the land does best: local salumi, soft squacquerone, and aged formaggio di fossa.
Passatelli — A pasta found almost nowhere outside Romagna. Made from breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, and egg, pressed through a special iron into rich broth, it’s the kind of dish that tastes like someone’s grandmother made it—because she probably did.
Stefano is a sommelier and that he personally curates the wine list
The Full Bike Hotel Experience
As part of the Italy Bike Hotels network, Dory delivers a complete cycling infrastructure:
- Secure bike storage & workshop
- Rental fleet (road + e-bikes)
- Guided rides by level
- GPX routes and maps
- Mechanical support & recovery vehicle
- Post-ride buffets
- Laundry & shoe drying
But Dory adds its own touches:
- Wine tastings during rides
- Race registration assistance
- Airport transfers
- Pool and wellness center
Everything is designed to remove friction—so you can focus on riding.
See everything the Hotel Dory has to offer in the PEZ video review:
Why Riders Keep Coming Back
It’s not just the riding. Not just the food. Not just the service.
It’s the combination—and the consistency.
A week at Hotel Dory isn’t a one-off trip. It becomes part of your season. The kind of place you return to because it delivers exactly what cyclists are looking for: great roads, great people, and a setting that makes every ride feel like it matters.
That 70% return rate?
That tells you everything.
BOOK IT
If you’re interested, I recommend checking out the deals—there are often some great ones, and you can enjoy a bike holiday like I did. (And tell ’em Pez sent you…)
• Get more info and book your stay at the Hotel Dory here
The post The Ride, The Food, The Wine: Why Cyclists Keep Coming Back to Hotel Dory appeared first on PezCycling News.
